The Critical Zone comprises the Earth's permeable near-surface layer from the top of the canopy to the bottom of the groundwater(see also: criticalzone.org/national/research/the-critical-zone-1national). It is the Zone where hydrosphere, atmosphere, pedosphere and geosphere interact with the biosphere. This fragile skin of the Earth, which supports the life and survival of humans maintaining food production and drinking water quality, is endangered by threats like climate change and land use change.

This multidisciplinary session will bring together scientists from all disciplines that contribute to our understanding of the Critical Zone from the molecular to the global scale and from fast to slow processes. We invite empirical and theoretical studies, as well as presentation of novel methods, aiming to reveal the processes connecting surface and subsurface und assessing the depth of the surface influence and potential feedbacks.